High voltage risk to kids not prudent

A BUDERIM GP says he will remove his two children from Sunshine Coast Grammar School if Energex goes ahead with its plan to erect high-voltage powerlines near the campus.

Dr Marc Thomas said yesterday that the powerlines – part of Energex’s $70m SunCoast Power Project – posed an unacceptable risk to students at the Forest Glen school.

While Energex insisted the powerlines posed no threat, Dr Thomas said there was enough evidence to show a direct correlation between the lines and childhood leukaemia.

He cited the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia’s stance on the issue as proof the powerlines should be scrapped.

While the foundation says evidence linking high-level electromagnetic fields with a range of serious illnesses remains uncertain, its supports a “prudent avoidance” approach in relation to EMFs.

There are concerns that high-level EMFs cause acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children, while childhood exposure to EMFs is associated with brain tumours and other types of solid tumours.

“If the Leukaemia Foundation is saying it’s prudent to avoid that association, why would you think of building high-voltage lines near an early childhood centre and a school?” Dr Thomas said.

“It’s simply a risk I don’t want to take.”

Energex officials will meet with parents of Grammar students on March 22 in an attempt to allay their concerns.

Grammar headmaster Nigel Fairbairn also wants the powerlines dust-binned and said he had relayed his concerns to Environment Minister Kate Jones.

“I’m not a health professional, but I assume it wouldn’t be wise to locate overhead powerlines near a school,” he said.

An Energex spokesman said the powerlines would be located about 250m from the nearest classroom and would not emit high-level EMFs.

“The electromagnetic fields associated with the proposed lines will not be able to be measured further than 100 metres from the centre of the easement and therefore will not impact the classrooms or playing fields,” he said.